A fifth of men snub women their own age
Chris Evans won’t be surprised to learn...
It will come as no surprise to Chris Evans. Or to Boris Johnson, George Clooney and Jay-Z – all married or engaged to much younger women.
Many men seek out partners who are far more youthful, researchers say.
One in five is looking for a woman at least five years younger than them, analysis of dating profiles shows.
this is because they believe they are likely to find a partner who is better looking, healthier and more liberal in their outlook.
Women, however, prefer to date a man at least 18 months older in the belief they will be more emotionally mature and committed to a relationship.
Researchers from the University of Lincoln and the University of Swansea analysed 120,000 UK profiles on dating site Eharmony. they found that men aged 18 to 20 who wanted children had a minimum age preference about 18 months older than those who did not want children.
Experts suggest this could be down to the subconscious knowledge that women around 25 have the highest fertility.
Men who already had children were more open to dating women their own age as their priorities had changed.
Among women, more than half saw ‘cougars’ in their 30s and 40s looking to date younger men as ‘less acceptable’ while ‘silver foxes’ – over-50s – with younger partners were seen in a more positive light.
Rachael Lloyd, a relationship expert at Eharmony, said: ‘Many women believe that once they’re a certain age and looking for committed relationships, men would rather pair up with younger partners. Our research indicates that dated stereotypes do still exist.’
While they did not rely on dating sites, Boris Johnson’s fiancee Carrie Symonds, at 32, is 24 years younger than him, George Clooney’s wife Amal, 43, is 16 years his junior and Jay-Z, 51, is 12 years older than wife Beyonce.
Dr Robin Kramer, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Lincoln, said attraction often has its roots in evolutionary psychology.
‘For example, waist-to-hip ratio in women – otherwise known as an hourglass figure – may indicate levels of oestrogen and testosterone, which can be a sign of good reproductive function, while emotional maturity in men indicates a more likely willingness to stick around and raise offspring,’ he said.